Coastwalk

Dover → Deal

Distance: 10.2 miles
Ascent: 248 metres
Duration: 3 hours 32 minutes

Choreographed crossings
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Between Dover and Deal the coastpath follows a chain of cliff-top National Trust properties. The downland was full of dog-walkers and holiday hikers.

Rising up to the cliffs above the Eastern Docks, announcements in triplicate (English, French, German) directed incoming ferry passengers to rejoin their vehicles and leave no bag unattended. I spent fifteen minutes watching the ferries perform their graceful three-point turns inside the huge harbour walls. The Channel Tunnel may still be the fastest way to cross, but these boats waltz rather than sprint.